Educating Property Owners: Window Cleaning is Maintenance Too

This is a guest blog post by Justin Havre is a Calgary native and owner of Justin Havre & Associates. The views, opinions, and positions expressed within this guest posts are those of the author.

Window Cleaning is More Than Aesthetics

While it’s important to have the windows looking nice, and it’s surely nice to be able to see into the business and out of it clearly, that’s not where the value of window cleaning stops — and owners should be made aware of this if they are not already. Keeping windows clean is really more of a maintenance issue. When windows aren’t cleaned frequently, there are a couple of major problems that can occur. The first is damage that takes place over time, such as hard water stains. The second is damage that occurs suddenly and goes unnoticed, such as a chip, crack, broken seal, or other reason that the window might leak.

Both of these kinds of issues can cause significant problems for a business and can damage the value of the commercial building, so it’s important to avoid these kinds of concerns if possible. Even though most business owners think that the look of the windows is all they’re working with when they have them cleaned, a little extra information about issues that can arise can help anyone who owns a commercial building that window cleaning is actually window maintenance. There is a lot of value to that knowledge for building owners.

Poor Maintenance Can Mean the Need for Replacement

Hard water stains on a window can significantly damage the glass to the point that it becomes almost impossible to get it clean again. Even with the best quality cleaners, business owners may find that streaks, marks, and discoloration are present. Because of that, windows could have to be replaced. Many commercial windows are large and expensive, and replacing them can be a real issue for a property owner.

For those who maintain the windows well, though, there’s less chance of hard water becoming a problem, just as the same rules apply with maintaining and updating one’s home. When it’s not allowed to stay on the glass for an extended period of time through regular maintenance, it cleans off much more easily and doesn’t do damage to the window itself. In some parts of the country where water has more minerals in it, this is more of a problem than in areas with softer water, but impurities of many types can cause issues for window glass.

How It Looks Really Does Matter, Too

Taking good care of the windows in a commercial building so they don’t have to be replaced is very important, but owners who are concerned about the aesthetics aren’t wrong to feel that way, either. Curb appeal is a well-known concept, and it’s not just for residential properties. When people see a building and it doesn’t look clean, they can be less likely to go into that business. As one might guess, attracting tenants or patrons is a big part of the equation for making money.

Something as simple as good window maintenance and cleaning can help them avoid turning away image-conscious individuals, and bring more people in the doors. Whether the building owner is working from the property or trying to keep tenants in it, a clean building that’s well kept is going to attract more people. The right cleaners and the right workers will also help, but in the end the real value is in the owner’s understanding that the windows must be cleaned as part of routine maintenance.

Justin Havre is a Calgary native and owner of Justin Havre & Associates. He believes that buildings of all kinds should be treated with care and attention to detail in order to fulfill their potential as either an investment or primary residence.